Berg drama

A DAY of high drama on the tough third stage has shaken up the leader board of the Berg River Canoe Marathon, ending the challenge of race leaders Graeme Solomon and Hungarian Adrián Boros after Boros withdrew ill, and catapulting KZN youngsters Hamish Lovemore and Tyron Maher into the lead.

After paddling superbly to set up a hefty lead after the second stage, Boros went down with a virus overnight, leaving the powerful Hungarian in a fever and unable to keep down any medication.

He travelled to the start at Bridgetown where he broke the news to his teammate Solomon, who was forced to withdraw from the team event and continue as an unclassified solo paddler.

That news triggered a wave of frenzied attacks on the 15km of flat water across Misverstand dam at the start of the gruelling 76km third stage as teams sensed the door ajar for a fresh assault on the podium.

German powerhouse Matthias Schmidt led the breakaway with his Czech teammate Petr Mojžíšek, working together with the Euro Steel duo of Alan Houston and Stew Little to open up a significant lead at the dam wall portage.

Shortly thereafter the visiting internationals got lost in a dead-end channel with Houston, letting the chasing group that included Gavin White and Ernest van Riet and the Paarl challengers Jermaine Pietersen and Luke Stowman back into the frame.

After the Moravia bridge the relentless pace started to take its toll, and six boats forged a fast-paced advance party that took Lovemore and Maher to the stage victory and they consolidated their new position atop the overall General Classification.